Per Mertesacker has admitted the emphatic nature of Germany’s semi-final victory over Brazil could prove “dangerous” as the team seek to ward off complacency and secure a fourth World Cup in ’s showpiece against Argentina.

The 7-1 dismissal of the hosts in Belo Horizonte, the Seleçao’s heaviest ever defeat, has established Joachim Löw’s side as favourites to claim their fourth World Cup at the Maracanã on Sundaywith their players’ confidence soaring. They boast the most threatening and fluid midfield in the tournament, the World Cup’s all-time record goalscorer in Miroslav Klose, and huge incentive as they attempt to claim the trophy for the first time since 1990.

That victory 24 years ago in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico came at the expense of Diego Maradona’s Argentina, with the 53-year-old quoted this week suggesting Tuesday’s semi-final thrashing had gone to Germany’s heads. “They are, as we say, full of themselves,” he said. “That is better for Argentina. Beating this German team is not impossible.”

While that assessment has been rejected by senior members of Löw’s squad, there is a realisation that Alejandro Sabella’s team will pose a very different threat to that presented by Brazil, with the chances of a repeat walkover – even to match their 4-0 quarter-final defeat of this opposition in South Africa four years ago – considered unlikely.

“Of course it is dangerous,” said Mertesacker when asked if the ease of the team’s victory against Brazil might lull them into a false sense of security.

“We want to finish on a high, and that means performance-wise. Our performance against Brazil was nearly 100%. If you look at the stats, the passing, the goals we scored … everything was so fluent. Everyone coped with the pressure situation well.

“You could see the difference between the teams and that’s why we created history. But that’s not all. We want more. We want more history. We don’t want to just settle for this result before the final.

“After that game, it’s going to be hard not to be considered favourites for the final, but we must stay focused. We can’t lose our focus now because we scored seven goals. We must keep calm and be aware of the situation. There’s one game missing and we must stay focused and play the same way that we did against Brazil. We want to achieve something special with this team. We played a good match with Brazil but we have to show another game with the same attitude, with the same focus,” added the Arsenal defender, who started on the bench against Brazil on Tuesday before replacing Mats Hummels for the second half with Germany leading 5-0 at the break.

“That’s needed in the final, otherwise we have no chance. If we drop even five per cent then we have no chance. Everyone had to calm down after midweek. It’s hard after such a result, but everyone needed to calm down and regroup after the semi-final and try to finish well, and that’s our main target for the final.”